Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1887-04-01
IRISH LEGISLATION.
THE GOVERNMENT PUSHING THE
GRIMES BILL.
tsAlfour Gives the Reasons for Abolishini
~Jury Trials and Changing the Venue
Dillon Ready to Lead His Coun-
trymen to Battle.

LONDON, March 2S-In the House of
Commons this evening Sir Henry Hol-
land, colonial secretary, replying to a
question stated that the Canadian Parlia
ment possessed the authority to purchase
and direct the operations of armed
cruisers in Canadian waters without the
consent of the imperial government The
act of 1867 gave Canada the power to leg
islate in all matters relative to the militia
and military and naval defence. Mr.. w.
H. Smith, the government leader, init
mated that the government had decided to
ask the House to pass to the second read
ing of the Irish criminal law amendment
bill before proposing the usual Easter
holidays. The government, said Mr..
Smith, disavowed any intention to men
ace the House, but they wished the mem
bers to understand that the measure was
vital to order in Ireland, that it was one
upon which the government staked their
existence and was more important than
the holidays.
Mr. Balfour, chief secretary for Ireland,
then moved the first reading of the bill.
In doing SO he referred TO the terms of
Parnell's proposed amendment to the bill
in which the Irish leader claims that the
IlOuSe SuOulu ODJdlu luTl0er information
about the condition of Ireland. Belfour
thought the Parnelites were sufficiently
informed of the state of their country and
should recognize Irish anarchy as an
artificer recognizes his own work The
government did not rest the case on the
statistics of agrarian crime. They took
the view that the amount OF crime must
be considered in con- JUNCTION with its
causes and character. The amount was
shown in the fact that at the present mo-
ment there were 49S persons IN Munster,
l15 in Connaught and psi in Lenster I'M
der police protection. The law had been
set aside and the vacuum had not been fill
ed by ordinary law. Boycotting and in
tlmldation, he said, were rampant in
that part of the country most disturbed
There was difficulty in inducing intimi-
dated witnesses 10 speak out. In 80 cases
422 jured parties were so terrified that
they refused to appear, When the evil
dence was obtained the juries declined
even in the .clearest cases to convict.
Those persons desiring the separation
of Ireland were ready to attain their
object by the exercises of avOWed ter
rorism. The jury system thus became
impracticable. The place which the law
ought to fill was occupied by the National
league. The members of the league relied
upon secret societies, dynamite and the
dagger, the object of which was the bring
ing about of a state of anarchy by means
of assassination.
Balfour next read extracts from the
United Ireland disclosing the extent of
the system of terrorizing. He said the
latest official return showed $50 persons
were boycotted under orders from the
league. No tyranny however cruel could
compare with anarchy resulting from the
existence OF the league tribunals. Com
ing to the proposals of the bill he stated
the government had borrowed a provision
from the Scotch system giving the mags-
oath, even when no persons are charged
with crime. To meet the difficulty get
ting Nerdicts they proposed to abolish the
jury system altogether for certain classes
of crime, giving the magistrate jurisdic
ton with power to impose maxi
mum penalty of six months imprs-
onment in cases of criminal con
spiracy, boycotting, rioting offences,
assault on officers of the law, forcibe and
unlawful possession and in cases of the
Indictment of the foregoing offences. The
government did not propose to interfere
with the liberty of the press, but they
hoped that by giving the magistrates pow
er of summary conviction for melting
offences they would be able to prevent
the press sharing in the crimes The bill
also gave the government power to change
the venue OF trials for graver offences.
The government felt the difficulty con
nected with the abolition of trial by Jury
in Ireland and therefore proposed that at.
UOTneN 'S-geHeral Oh England ana ireland,
in cases of grave crimes should certify
when fair trial should be had in Eng
land. The government proposed that the
permanency of the bill should not be linn
tied to fixed time. He concluded by de
claring that it was in the cause of liberty
that the government asks the House to
break the yoke under which Ireland is
grooming
Dillon followed Balfour, and said this
bill would never become a law. If he be
lieved the people of England were capable
of sanctioning the measure he would give
up forever the hope Of seeing the Irish and
English shake hands. The Irish people
would he slaves indeed if they submitted
to it. Either he would leave the country
where no Irishman could live unless he
lived like "A slave or ii thegpeople were will
ling he would be proud and happy to lead
them in battle.
The measure could only result in causing
increased disorganization and driving the
people back to the horrors of former years.
Balfour had succeeded III proving nothing
but his own ignorance of the country
which he sought to govern. The sooner
he Quilted Office the better for Ireland aud
for himself. The government was praCti-
cally treating lTshmen ike slaves They
sought TO root them out IKE Yermin Ii
this coercion bill passed neither land pun
chase blll nor any other Irish measure
would 1--we to be accepted at the hands Of
the English Parliament.